Oman Power & Water Procurement (OPWP) Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Oman Environmental Service Holding Company (be’ah) to build a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Barka, which will have a power generation capacity of 130-150 MW.
The WTE plant is planned to have a daily capacity of 4,500 tonnes of municipal waste, with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of landfills by 50 million tonnes over 35 years, 1.3 million tonnes a year. This is equivalent to 30 percent of the total carbon dioxide currently emitted by landfill operations in Oman.
The procurement of the Barka WTE scheme, Oman’s first WTE project, was put on hold in 2020, with the government putting this down to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a downturn in electricity demand.
“This vital project is part of be’ah’s strategy and sustainable waste management plan that will promote a circular economy on a national scale,” said Ahmed Hamed al-Subhi, chairman of the Board of Directors of be’ah, following the signing.
“It is in line with our continuous efforts to minimize the use of landfills across the sultanate, provide long-term waste management solutions, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” added Al-Subhi.
“The initiative introduces an ecofriendly solution that will help us build a diversified energy sector by providing 130-150 MW from renewable sources. It also engages the private sector to build and operate the waste-to-energy plant and provide a sustainable platform of collaboration between two key sectors with a mutual aim of sustainability,” said Yaqoob bin Saif al-Kiyumi, CEO of OPWP.
